OHCA AWARDS

 OHCA is now accepting applications for 2023 OHCA awards. 

Awards will be presented at the Dinner on Friday, September 6, 2024, at the Animal Rescue League of Iowa at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, Des Moines, Iowa., held in conjunction with the OHCA National Specialty & Companion Events at Purina Farms. 

If you receive an award but are not in attendance at the Dinner, you will be recognized at the Dinner and your award will be mailed to your address of record after the event. 

The online link to apply for an award is: https://form.jotform.com/231948309995170 . You may also apply for an award by sending an email to secretary@otterhound.org. If you choose to email an application, please be sure to include all information necessary to confirm your eligibility for the award. This may include the list below or similar: 

1) Name of Owner(s) (including the owner of record who is an OHCA member in good standing) 2) Otterhound’s Registered Name/AKC Registration No. 

3) Titles Earned Along with Accompanying Dates Earned
4) Total Number of Lifetime Points Accumulated (if applicable) 

5) Number of Points Accumulated in This Calendar Year (if applicable) 

• For Top Stud Dog/Brood Bitch, The Olivia Award, and The Martha Thompson Obedience Award, the eligibility period is January 1 through December 31, 2023. 
• For all other awards, you may apply if your hound meets the eligibility criteria. The eligibility period does not end December 31, 2023. Awards Applications that are received by August 15 will be awarded at this year’s Awards Dinner once eligibility is confirmed. 
• Criteria for Otterhound Hall of Fame also includes: Won a BEST IN SHOW Owner Handled at a member or licensed AKC all-breed competition. 

 Applications for consideration of these awards must be received by the OHCA Club Secretary by August 15, 2024.

• Unless otherwise noted all titles are AKC and any titles that AKC shall add in the future will then be included with points, if applicable, awarded accordingly, based on the point schedule listed below.
  
• Unless otherwise noted at least one recipient owner or co-owner must be a member in good standing with the Otterhound Club of America, Inc. at the time the title or award is achieved.
  
• Unless otherwise noted all Otterhounds receiving these awards, as well as the Martha Thompson and Versatility Awards, must be owned or co-owned by at least one OHCA member in good standing with the Otterhound Club of America, Inc. at the time the award is achieved. 

 1) At least one owner or co-owner must be a member of The Otterhound Club of America, Inc. 

2) If the Otterhound is a dam, it must have produced five (5) AKC Champions. If the Otterhound is a sire, it must have produced eight (8) AKC Champions. 

3) The Otterhound may be deceased or living. There are no time limitations.
4)  Application must be made to the Secretary, or the person who the Club names, at least twenty one (21) days in advance of the awards meeting, 

 1) The sire must have fifteen (15) AKC Champions from at least three (3) different bitches. 

2) The dam must have ten (10) AKC Champions from two (2) sires. 

Points awarded for each offspring may only be awarded for one category in that year, so choose the higher, except for OFA

1) 10 points for each AKC Champion. 

2) 10 points for each AKC Tracking Dog Excellent title or VST title. 

3) 5 points for each AKC Tracking Dog title.
4) 5 points for each OFA hips number offspring (may include in addition to points for titles listed above). 

 To be eligible for the OTTERHOUND CLUB OF AMERICA, INC. Hall of Fame, your hound must have:

• Won a BEST IN SHOW at a member or licensed AKC all-breed competition. 
• Won a BEST IN SHOW Owner Handled at a member or licensed AKC all-breed competition 
• Won a HIGH IN TRIAL at a member or licensed AKC all-breed competition. 
• Achieved their UTILITY DOG title. 
• Achieved their TRACKING DOG EXCELLENT title. 
• Achieved an EXCELLENT level AGILITY title (if PREFERRED two EXCELLENT level titles or one MASTER level). 
• Achieved their VARIABLE SURFACE TRACKING title. 
• Been deemed a "hero dog" in the opinion of the OHCA Board of Directors 
• Otherwise thought to be eligible for entry in the Hall of Fame in the opinion of the OHCA Board of Directors. 

The purpose of these awards is to encourage people to get out and do things with their Otterhounds. All eligible Otterhounds must be owned or co-owned by a member in good standing in the Otterhound Club of America. These awards will be presented by the Otterhound Club of America as club recognition for AKC titles earned, and other organizations' sponsored events. Versatility Awards became effective September 2005. These changes will be effective January 1, 2014. All Rally and Conformation titles will count at the basic level only. 

VO: Versatile Otterhound - Must have titles in two (2) different categories at the minimum level of CH, BN, TD, Novice level Agility, RN. 

VOI: Versatile Otterhound Intermediate – Must have titles in two (2) different areas, and one is at the intermediate level (intermediate starts at the Open level Agility, CDX, TDX). 

VOX: Versatile Otterhound Excellent - Must have titles in three (3) different categories with one (1) title at the intermediate level as specified in Versatile Otterhound Intermediate. 

VOCH: Versatile Otterhound Champion - Must have titles in three (3) different categories with one (1) at the excellent level (excellent starts at the Excellent level Agility, UD, VST), and one (1) additional at the intermediate level (as specified in Versatile Otterhound Intermediate) in another category. An OTCH or CT or MACH or PACH are also considered excellent titles.

This trophy is in the memory of Ottertail’s Olivia UDX TDX and honors the Otterhound who is owned or co-owned by a member of good standing of the Otterhound Club of America who most exemplifies the overall working hound. The trophy will be awarded each year at the OHCA Annual Awards Banquet subsequent to the year earned. The honoree will get a commemoration trophy and the actual trophy will remain in the custody of the Otterhound Club of America. This trophy need not be awarded each year if there are no applicants that meet the criteria outlined below. Points chart can be found at link here.  

• Points are not cumulative within a category. Only the highest point title is recognized. 
• Points are earned each calendar year of January 1 to December 31. 
• Applicant must have points from at least two categories and a lifetime total of at least five points. 
• Applicant must earn at least one new point in the calendar year applying though lifetime points are counted in total. Titles with numerical achievement (i.e. UDX1, UDX2) are considered separate titles and though gain no more points their points carry over to current year earned. 
• In case of a tie the applicant with the most new points earned in the calendar year is the winner. 
• Only AKC titles (besides “Humanitarian” category) are recognized. 
• The OHCA Secretary must receive an application for The “Olivia” no later than February 15th subsequent to the close of the calendar year.

 Points chart can be found at link here.

• Points will be based on the period January to January. 
• Points will be earned at American Kennel Club or Canadian Kennel Club events. 
• Dogs which have a higher title cannot drop down and receive points for a lesser title of a different organization (i.e. AKC CDX dog cannot receive points for a CKC CD title) 
• Dogs which attain more than one title in a calendar year of a different level may combine the points (i.e. In March receive a CD and September of the same year a CDX) Dogs which attain more than one title of the same level may use the highest points earned out of anyone title (ie. Received AKC CD and CKC CD in same year...can use the best score of the two...cannot be added together). 
• Scores will be based upon an average of the first three qualifying scores for the title earned. 

If for some reason the first one or two legs toward a title were earned in the previous calendar year(s) the scores would be brought forward to be averaged in the calendar year the title was earned. In the case of UDX, the scores for the first ten qualifying shows will be averaged together for a mean final score, and the points will be awarded in the year of the tenth qualifying score.

  An Otterhound who achieves CHIC certification through OFA. CHIC Health testing requirements are:

• OFA hip certification 
• OFA elbow certification 
• Glanzmann’s Thrombasthenia 
• OFA DNA bank